1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to a locking device for connector housings that comprises an actuating handle and two locking elements that are rotatable on two bearing pins arranged on a first connector housing half and lockable on two locking pins arranged on a second connector housing half, wherein the two locking elements respectively consist of a one-piece wire element.
A locking device of this type is required for connecting two connector housing halves to one another in an environmentally protected fashion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Publication DE 29 15 574 C2 discloses a housing half closure for multipolar electric connectors with one or even two locking clips that can be pivoted about bearing pins of a lower housing part and are manufactured of the spring steel wire. Such a locking clip is provided with eyelets, a first spring section that is bent in an Ω-like fashion, a catch hook with a slide-on curvature and a second spring section that is bent in an Ω-like fashion. It is furthermore disclosed that a handle part is snapped onto the locking clip. During the closing process, the opening width of the first Ω-like spring section is increased by a force acting upon the connecting section. This causes slide-on curvatures of the locking clip to be bent upward such that they can slide over a bearing pin of the upper housing part. In addition, the unlocking process is also simplified with the proposed housing half closure.
Such a device requires a high elasticity of the locking clip that, in turn, reduces the locking forces. This device therefore is also not stable with respect to its handling.
EP 0 731 534 B1 discloses an electric connector, in which a U-shaped locking clip that can be pivoted about bearing pins of one connector half features pockets in its lateral parts, wherein a specially shaped spring element is respectively arranged in said pockets and makes it possible to lock the connector in cooperation with a locking pin arranged on the second housing half. Such a locking device requires many individual small parts and the manufacture of the locking clip is relatively complicated.
In other locking devices of this design, the locking clips are essentially manufactured of an elastic plastic material and can be elastically bent in such a way that they can be pushed over the bearing pins of an existing connector housing half and engaged at this location. However, these locking clips do not have a sufficient environmental resistance for many applications and are, in particular, not sufficiently heat-resistant for many applications such as, for example, in the vicinity of a blast furnace during the operation thereof.
In the past, it was determined that the locking devices of connectors exhibit particularly significant wear, especially under extreme environmental conditions such as, for example, heat or humidity. These wear phenomena frequently do not manifest themselves until the connector is installed at the site of operation. Consequently, one disadvantage of the state of the art can be seen in that it is impossible or requires great effort to exchange the original locking devices of existing connectors with corresponding locking devices that are more environmentally resistant and, in particular, more heat-resistant.